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Katrina Washington

October 7, 2013

Paper #2

Analytic-Synthetic Distinction

The logical positivists views on the analytic-synthetic distinction were introduced when

Frege and Carnap made revisions to the Kantian definition of what analytic and synthetic

propositions consisted of. These definitions are important to the understanding of propositions

and their true meaning. An analytic proposition is a statement thats subject explained the

predicate and vice versa. A synthetic proposition is a statement thats subject did not explain the

predicate or vice versa. The logical positivists agreed with Kant that mathematical propositions

are not justifiable based solely upon experience. Kant believed that in order to justify the concept

of 2+5=7, there would have to be prior knowledge of the concepts of + and 7. On the other

hand, they did not agree with the fact that Kant believed metaphysics was necessary to explain

how knowledge of mathematical truths came to be. The Logical positivists understood that

knowledge of judgments such as all bachelors are unmarriedand that the knowledge of

mathematics (2+5=7) were one in the same in the sense that we already have knowledge of these

terms based on their meaning.

Quines objection to the positivists theory on analytic-synthetic distinction was that there

is a difference between the meaning of something and the definition. His objection mostly dealt

with the concept of analyticity and its true definition. According to Quine, the analytic statement

No bachelor is marriedis interchangeable with no unmarried man is marriedbecause by

definition a bachelor is an unmarried man. However, a counterexample could be: the word

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bachelorhas fewer than ten letters. It could not be confirmed only by the fact that bachelor and

unmarriedman have the same definition, that unmarried man also has fewer that ten letters. In

an effort to exclude the above statement, Quine presents the concept of synonymy and how

unclear it is. In order to be synonymous, a term can be substituted with another term and have

the same connotation. He believed that only through a clear sufficient explanation of synonymy

could we make a judgment on the meaning of something.

The logical positivists have an interesting theory about meanings and their true

definitions. However, the Kantian belief that mathematical truths are needed to understand

statements such as 2+5=7 is more significant. Prior knowledge of how numbers work and

concepts of mathematical equations would be needed to solve that problem. The logical

positivists did have a good point when it came to stating the difference between analytic and

synthetic statements. For example:

-The clock tells time. is an analytical statement because the terms clock and time are

synonymous.

- The clock is for sale. is a synthetic statement because the terms clock and for sale do not

define each other.

Quines views on what terms are interchangeable and what a concise idea of analyticity

were particularly thought-provoking. The idea of an analytic proposition entails an

understanding of the concept of synonymy. However, cognitive synonymy eventually leads to

synthetic propositions. In a Quinian mindset, this indicates that there is no tenable way to firmly

assure that the concept of analytic propositions is true.